This invention relates generally to a grinding wheel dressing apparatus for reproducing a contour on the peripheral surface of the grinding wheel from an enlarged contour or master form. Obvious substantial improvements in accuracy are attained by controlling the dressing operation by following a several times enlarged contour. Having a template contour of, for example, ten times as large as the desired grinding wheel contour also permits hand fabrication of the template because any template inaccuracy is reduced by, as in this example, ten.
My previous U.S. Pat. No. 3,022,780, hereby incorporated by reference, discloses such a grinding wheel dressing apparatus. The drawings from that patent are herein incorporated by reference. However, one of the two linkage systems therein, that for fractional linear translation of the follower slide motion to that of the tool slide, included inherent practical and functional limitations which the instant improvements overcome. These limitations relate to the requirement that two of the three linkage interconnectors, to the tool slide 37 at 84' and to the housing 24 at 86', be both pivotable and sliding connections, and also to the micrometer ratio adjustment screw 88. The practical limitations of the old linkage include expense and difficulty in manufacturing this linkage. Further, the micrometer ratio adjustment previously included was then required to be made by the field operator, proving to be a source of tedious, time-consuming inaccuracy. The curious operator, once having needlessly dismantled the mechanism, was typically challenged beyond capability to reassemble and adjust the linkage to perform properly.
Another practical limitation inherent in my old linkage was the double wear factor at each of the above two connecting points. Because both pivotal and sliding motion occurred at each said interconnection, inaccuracies due to wear at both pivotal and sliding points occurred in unexpectedly shortened time periods.
A major functional limitation, therefore, in addition to the dual wear problem inherent in said interconnections, is the increased operating friction therein created. Because this is a hand-controlled and guided apparatus, any undue operating resistance to movement breeds further inaccuracy.
The instant invention overcomes the above limitations by providing a novel linkage system for the above-said purpose having only pivotable interconnections. Additionally, all adjustment previously required of the operator has been eliminated.